Stories for December 17, 2005

After taking on Chicago, director Rob Marshall now sets his sights on Japan. The filmmaker tackles the best selling novel Memoirs of a Geisha (opening December 16 at AMC Mission Valley and La Jolla Theaters) about a young womans indoctrination into a secretive subculture of Japanese society.

Brokeback Mountain (opening December 16 at Landmarks La Jolla Village and Hillcrest Cinemas) arrives in San Diego after having already gathered awards from the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics and nominations from the Golden Globes and Broadcast Film Critics. The film chronicles the long-term relationship of two modern day cowboys, played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.